Eating Out and Counting PPVs

Is Green Beer The Key To Weight Loss?

I had a loss this week after celebrating St. Patty’s Day, twice.  Was green beer the reason for my small loss?  Not likely.  You can’t gauge anything from just one week but I do know that changing it up probably helped. 

I ate out four times this week.  That might seem like a lot for some.  It was actually more than the norm for me.  I often only eat out once or twice a week, as I am tired of leftovers and eating home cooked meals!  I have also been struggling with eating not feeling “fun” and that my clean eating, while good for my body, is starting to make me want to be reckless (see previous post about my recklessness).

So I made the decision at the start of my week that I wouldn’t go to the store for food but would just wing it with what I had at home, Weight Watcher meals in the freezer, and a few planned meals out.

My first two meals out were places I have been many times and so calculating PPVs was not difficult.  (I wish I had thought to take pictures).

 

Costa Vida

I love the large sweet pork salad.  Costa Vida has nutrition information online but since I hardly ever eat anything without placing a special order, I sort of have to deconstruct it.  Here is my method.

·         Tortilla (a full tortilla is 10 PPVs but I never eat it all) – 8 PPVs

·         Black beans (about half a cup with liquid) – 3 PPVs

·         Sweet pork (sweet means sugar and the serving isn’t too large) – 5 PPVs

·         Tomatillo ranch (on the side a small pour) – 2 PPVs

·         Tortilla strips (small amount) – 2 PPVs

·         Mexican cheese (small amount) – 1 PPVs

For today’s meal, I didn’t have the tortilla strips or the cheese.  I just didn’t want to spend the extra PPVs.  It didn’t taste quite the same though.

 

Panda Express

I always order the same two item meal.  Panda Express also has nutrition information available and it is even in the Weight Watcher eTools as well.

·         Mixed veggie side item (NI shows 2 PPVs but WW eTools says 0) – 0 PPVs

·         Beef broccoli – 3 PPVs

·         String bean chicken – 4 PPVs

·         Side of brown sauce – 2 PPVs

·         Fortune cookie – 1 PPVs

I don’t always eat the cookie but I always take out my fortune.

 

Corned Beef and Cabbage Dinner at the Melba Catholic Church

This was the tradition CB&C dinner that I attend almost every year.  I already know what is being served and used the eTools app to look up the PPVs in advance.  I even looked up regular beer and light beer and made note to ask when it was being served.  I couldn’t find PPVs for lime sherbet so I calculated that when I was at the grocery store earlier in the week.  I always skip the roll.  They are store bought and not worth it to me.

·         Corned beef (3 oz is 5PPVs but I don’t like it that much) – 3 PPVs

·         Potatoes, carrots, cabbage (best estimate on how much was served and seemed a little greasy from the beef) – 6 PPVs

·         Butter – 1 PPVs

·         Green beer (Coors Lite and 16 oz) – 5 PPVs

·         Lime sherbet and homemade mini cookie (left some sherbet so I could enjoy the cookie, they are really good) – 3 PPVs

 

St. Patty’s Day Celebration at The Ram in Boise

This one was a little harder but the nutrition information was also available.  It was a struggle because the PPVs were so high in almost every dish.  I also wasn’t 100% sure what I was going to have and so I knew the PPVs of many dishes.  I had to do my own deconstruction through.

·         Veggie burger – 15 PPVs.  The original burger was 24 PPVs.  I subtracted from the PPVs the items on the burger I didn’t eat: avocado (-4 PPVs), half the whole wheat bun (-3 PPVs), and mayo on the side (-2 PPVs)

·         Homemade Ram chips (best guess for about 6 chips lightly dipped in a sour cream sauce) – 4 PPVs

·         Green beer (regular 12 ounces with small extra pour) – 7 PPVs

I had really wanted a dessert prior to going and had also looked up the PPVs.  I then realized I could get USwirl frozen yogurt instead for less PPVs

·         USwirl frozen yogurt (with Reese Peanut Butter Cup, coconut, almond slivers, and strawberries) – 10 PPVs

 

As you can see, Sunday was a very high PPVs day.  I off set my week with smaller and lighter meals and got in three days of good solid activity.  I am also working the graveyard shift so the last two meals were at the start of my day and I had the most PPVs available to me.  I had also saved all my WPPAs for just these two meals.

I was shocked when I had a small loss.  That is why we can’t judge anything by just one week.  I did enjoy eating this week and really enjoyed my meals out.  I also planned ahead, looked up the NI and PPVs, and built it into my week.  There were still places I could have cut back but I am glad I didn’t.  Both my St. Patty’s Day meals and visiting with friends and family was very enjoyable.

What Will It Take For You To Be Happy?

While I have not watched The Biggest Loser for several seasons now, I decided to TiVo the finale to have something to watch on Monday night.

One of the final contestants, Joe, had some powerful words to share after his weigh-in.  "There is a big difference between being in-shape and being healthy. Healthy just isn't the weight. It’s healthy inside and outside. It's the happiness you have and you can't give that away, it comes from within."

How many of you can truly say you are happy with your weight loss or maintenance journey?  How many of you can say you are happy with yourself?

It is easy to doubt ourselves and our abilities when we step on the scale and don’t see the number we want.  It is only a number.  So how does one work to be happy with that number?  I think it happens by turning the focus away from the scale and onto more important things.  Such as:

·         Measurements

·         Feeling confident in your clothing

·         A compliment from a friend, co-worker, family member, or even a complete stranger

·         Competing in a 5K, 10K, half marathon, marathon, or other race event

·         Sweating hard in an exercise class

·         Passing up a food temptations because the PPVs are just not worth it

What else is on your list?

I understand that the scale is an import part of weight loss and maintenance.  It should not be the sole important factor though.  I don’t weigh myself daily.  While I know this works for some, it would drive me crazy.  Much like a person can give a food too much control, I think a person can also give the scale too much control.  Why is the suffering worth it?  Why not just be happy that you are healthy, active, and strong?  Why not just be happy that you worked hard to lose weight and that you are also doing what you need to do to keep the weight off.

You gained a little weight back?  So what!  That doesn’t mean you still should not be happy with yourself.  If it was easy, we wouldn’t need programs like Weight Watcher.  If losing weight cured us from the first time we attempted it, then there wouldn’t be fad diets and quick fixes.

What will it take for you to just be happy?  Remember, as Joe said, it comes from within.

What Success Really Looks Like

I found this picture posted on Facebook and through it was appropriate for weight loss and maintenance.

Is your road to success a straight one?  Or does your road have twists, turns, dips, bumps, narrow bridges, and even a few pot holes?

Mine sure does.

My weight loss journey was filled with many detours and struggles.  During my journey, it took me 12 weeks to lose just 5 pounds.  When I was stressed over losing weight, I almost skipped serving birthday cake.  I rationalized that cake was really only for your guests and my guests didn’t need any (I am glad I wised up and had cake).  I cried some.  I doubted myself and my abilities.  I was “robbed” at the scale when I worked so hard for a loss. 

My weight loss journey was also filled with many positives.

In either case, it was a success.  I lost 130 pounds in two years.

My maintenance journey has also been filled with a few detours and struggles.  I had to pay at my meeting after being a free Lifetime member for well over a year.  After being below goal by 10 pounds for my first year of maintenance, I started to gain some back.  My third year of maintenance I had to pay at my meetings for five straight months.  I still cry sometimes and have occasional doubts.

My maintenance journey has also been filled with many positives.

In either case, I am still a success.  I have maintained my 130 pound weight loss for four years.

So, how about that very important question: What is success?  Is a person not a success if they have lost weight and gained a little back?  Is a person not a success if they have not yet made their goal weight?  Absolutely not!!!  Success can be defined in so many ways and is different for each individual person.

Regardless of how YOU view success, remember that your road to reaching your success in weight loss or maintenance isn’t going to be perfect and it isn’t going to always be easy.    But it will ALWAYS be worth it!

Celebrate your success!!!  I would love for you to leave a comment with a few so I can celebrate with you.